Garden Update: Coneflowers, Cosmos, Blackberries and Butterfly Bushes

Here’s our occasional update on the progress in the fields at Sour Cherry Farm. The early summer harvest is slowing down, and we’re getting more flowers and ornamentals as we wait for late summer tomatoes and fall crops like figs, apples and pears. Here’s a look at what’s going on.

Gladiolas are in full bloom!

The neighbors’ grapes are coming along nicely:

Apples!

Our girls:

The butterfly bush is enormous:

The creeping thyme is very happy behind the rock:

Not so happy on top of of it:

Lingonberries are barely hanging in there:

A look down Sour Cherry Farm way:

Blackberries:

I need to find a way to train these to climb up something next year.

Currants:

Pear:

Balloon flower:

More happy creeping thyme:

Sparrow grass:

Nasturtiums:

Elderberries:

Elderberry flowers:

Plum:

Coneflowers:

Peonies:

Russian sage:

Phlox:

Anise hyssop:

African blue basil:

(The bees adore it.)

The lot, with Joe Pye in the back:

And shiso in the front:

Just-planted. Now I’m spacing on the name. I’ll have to check my records.

The colombine on the right is ‘Little Lanterns.’

The ones in the back of the fence are ‘McKana Giants.’ I hope they make it back after the heat wave. They weren’t looking so good.

Showy hydrangea:

Iris:

With some cosmos next to it:

Hydrangea Limelight:

Angelonia:

Figs!

Butterfly bush:

Coreopsis:

This garden bed is the bane of my existence. It seems to be somewhat coming along:

This has also been a nightmare. I think I will let the mint take over and live here:

In the front, the horseradish has way jumped the pot. I’m not very happy about that, either:

The tomatoes are sick:

Beans and Swiss chard:

Fennel:

Nicotiana:

I don’t think I’ll plant that next year. Too leggy.

The oregano badly needs to be divided:

Strawberries:

Zinnia:

More beans:

Blueberries:

This corner needs work. I’m thinking lilacs:

A garden is a living thing, friends. It’s always a work in progress.